Music Bootlegs offer an alternative retrospective of a musician or band's career. From recordings of live concerts to studio outtakes, they can offer a glimpse into the artist freed from the constraints of the studio and record company.
History of Bootlegs
It would be hard to pinpoint the first time a live concert was ever recorded. Possibly the best starting point would be in the late 1960's with the explosion of such great live acts as Bob Dylan, The Who and The Rolling Stones. Concert going became a more riotous affair compared to the more staid shows that came before. Music collecting became more serious and the album overtook the single as the prime release.
Around this time a Bob Dylan concert turned up at record fairs and independent music shops. It was a recording of his famous "Judas" gig at the Manchester Free Trade Hall (although the Bootleg proclaimed it was recorded at The Royal Albert Hall). It became a sought after item by fans who wanted something more than just the steady release of studio albums. Interest in his concerts were high as he was apt to play many unreleased songs or even offer up different versions of his already released songs.
Controversy has always surrounded the Bootleg. Apart from people making a profit from the artist's music there has also been the question of quality. Bootlegs can sometimes be unlistenable with too much background noise from the audience getting in the way of the music. With the market turning away from profit and more to trading the poorer quality ones are being weeded out now. Traders will still offer them but with warnings about sound quality.
Collecting Bootlegs
As Bootlegging is not condoned by recording companies and in many cases the artist themselves collecting bootlegs as always been an underground phenomenon. Independent music retailers would stock them but it was usually in local record fairs that they turned up.
Over time selling Bootlegs for profit has become frowned upon by many collectors. Record Companies didn't like people making money out of their artist although legally this is still a grey area. It has become more usual for Bootleggers to trade their recordings with each other thus building their collection up this way. The advent of the Internet has taken the Bootleg off the street and into cyberspace.
For any person to start collecting Bootlegs it is advisable to find a Trader then offer them something in return. This could be a recording they haven't got or in some cases they will trade for blank CD's. Either way it keeps collecting Bootlegs among true fans of music and not one for commercial gain. Some artists have even condoned the trading of Bootlegs and offer up areas at their concerts for people to record and meet.
Bruce Springsteen Bootlegs
One of the most popular Bootlegged artists is Bruce Springsteen. His concerts over the years have drawn many recordings, some of which now form part of his legacy as a musician. His famous show at London's Hammersmith Odeon has now been released in official format (mirroring the release of that famous Bob Dylan show mentioned earlier).
As his shows very rarely follow the same setlist and he often plays unreleased songs there are many of his shows available for trade.These Bootlegs are traded all over the world with recognition by Springsteen himself and chart his career trajectory from a completely different angle. Fans can revisit the highlights of his classic Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour with the Passaic show (originally broadcast on radio) or come right up to date with his last tour. They show an artist learning and then hitting his peak of his career.
The Future for Bootlegs
It is impossible to predict the future for Bootlegs. With record companies in decline it could become a prime source of income for an artist and they may decide to release their own versions of shows.Two artists who have embraced the bootleg culture have been Pearl Jam, who offer up recordings of all their shows for the fan to collect thus making sure they are receiving a good quality recording, and MGMT who want special areas set up at their gigs for Bootleggers (www.nme.com/blog/index.php). What is certain is that with new technology recordings are going to become better. Whether this truly impacts on the art of collecting remains to be seen but for the meantime it is going to stay as an underground hobby for music fans.
Martyn Coppack - I am a writer who is just starting out and am looking to concentrate on film, music and literature. Having passed my degree in English and ...
Join the Conversation